Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and company, I just wish I did so I could really, really mess things up. . Lauren and Eva insist that they aren't owned by anyone (they are real people) and I own their 'children' all of which are my characters that I made up.

Warnings: Rated R for cussing, violence, and later on a smothering sense of sexuality. AU, non-yaoi (. Lauren wouldn't let me), and no Sango or Kagome (Death to the bitches!).

Author's Rants: I wrote this as a favor to my friend Lauren. More or less a thank you for being an muse when my own doesn't want to work. Which is quite a bit of the time. And with that said onto other matters. If you've gotten this far in the story than you've realized I have a thing for cliffhangers. They're so much fun to use.

Please review! Oh, and this is a reminder that all flames will be used to burn Sango and Kagome at the stake. Even if Lauren threatens to hit me.

Anywayz, on to the story.

Chapter 4: Lauren's Powers

"What the hell was that!?!"

Lauren screamed, jumping to her feet. Inuyasha sat up slowly and rubbed his reddened nose with his right hand. Miroku and Kaede climbed to their feet to stare, shocked. The half-breed teenager with silver hair looked up at the startled Lauren to glare hotly.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!?" Inuyasha yelled loudly as he stood up, still glaring at Lauren. His lean frame towering over the small petite girl much as Inutaisho had. She glowered right back at the taller boy.

"My name is Lauren! And don't you dare yell at me, asshole!" Lauren shouted back, jabbing her index finger as hard as she could into his broad chest. He brushed her hand away as easily as if it weren't there at all.

"Bitch!" He sneered, raising his claws, "I could cut you down here and now!" He growled down at the red-headed girl, who in turn growled back at him then yelled.

"Would you just SIT!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, "SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT!"

The brightly colored blue beaded necklace glowed once more. And Inuyasha busted through the wooden planked floor to find himself entrenched in the ground below. He sat up in his body's outline and sat there growling loudly, deep in his throat.

Lauren flicked him off with both hands. Then she proceeded to stomp back over to the cushion to sit down once more. She pulled the light-weight shawl closer and attempted to ignore the growling dog-boy that watched her with a deadly gaze.

Miroku's jaw dropped and he stared at the very pissed off Lauren, glancing at Inuyasha then back again. His dark eyes were filled with awe and fascination.

Kaede just rubbed her hands on the small blue towel she picked up, looking thoughtfully on Lauren.

"Inuyasha," Kaede called sweetly, "since ye broke a hole in my floor, ye shall fix it. Along with the girl there."

"WHAT!?!" Inuyasha yelled, climbing out of the hole shaking off the dirt like so much water. Lauren crossed her arms and then glared fiercely at the loud teenage boy with his strange dog-like ears.

"I didn't even do anything! It was all her fault! She did IT. . . . . Somehow!"

Kaede opened her mouth to say something, but Lauren beat her to it.

"The first time was a fucking accident! And if you hadn't yelled at me and then threatened my life I wouldn't have done it again!" Lauren huffed disgustedly at Inuyasha. His golden eyes narrowed in response.

"Bit-"

"Watch it, mother fucker! I swear to god I'll do it again! And you'll do all the god damned repairs by yourself. I didn't ask to be here after all, shit head! I have no major problems about going back home right now if you take me to that shit hole of a dried up old well!" She screamed turning red. Even Inuyasha's eyes widened in shock.

"After all, four hours ago I was safe and sound at home with my damn dogs, my fucking horses, and my jackass of a mother! If you don't want me here, then fine! Take me to the fucking well!"

Lauren turned away from the others, holding back tears. She was hit by a sudden bout of homesickness. Kaede and Miroku glowered at Inuyasha who crossed his arms defensively, snarling at them.

"What? It wasn't my fucking fault! Stop staring at me like that! Dammit!" He hissed, turning his back on the other three and began to pace the back of the room yet again.

"Oh, wasn't it?" Lauren whispered softly, turning back.

Miroku sighed, beginning to count down under his breath, "5. . . . .4. . . . .3. . . . .2. . . . . 1-"

"Inuyasha! SIT, boy!"

"Aaagggghhhhh!!!"

Miroku shook his head and glanced over to catch Kaede's equally amused grin. They nodded almost imperceptibly, returning their eyes to watch the fight.

Inuyasha stood to his feet again, "INSUFFERABLE. . . .LITTLE. . . .WENCH!!!"

Lauren stuck out her tongue and flipped her hair. And with both arms flicked Inuyasha off again. Miroku vowed to make sure and sell tickets for their next fight, it was just too much fun to watch alone. Well, technically he wasn't alone but Kaede wasn't as much fun as other young adults.

Kaede chuckled aloud suddenly. And her laughter rose in pitch to a near hysterical note as she struggled to smother the laugh and failed miserably.

The others turned to gape at her as if she'd gone and lost her mind. The old woman only laughed harder and harder. Her three companions began glancing back and forth amongst themselves nervously.

Kaede sank back into her seat, her sides heaving and tears flowing down her old pale, wrinkled cheeks.

"She's a-hahahaha-a-hahahaha!"

Inuyasha stepped forward and grabbed Kaede's shoulders roughly. He then proceeded in giving the old woman a good shake.

"What in fucking hell are you talking about, you crazy old woman!?!"

Lauren slapped away Inuyasha's hands from the wise woman when she began to wince in pain. The half-breed snarled and took a step back, but Miroku stepped closer. The monk's interest was peaked, burning like coals in his eyes.

The teenage girl knelt before the laughing and panting woman. She subsequently began to shake Kaede almost as hard as Inuyasha had a moment before. A fact that didn't escape him as he raised an eyebrow at her.

Lauren caught his reaction but wasn't impressed. She tugged harder at the old woman.

"What about me? What am I?" she asked. Her heart began to race in apprehension of the answer she would be given. Kaede only looked up into her eyes and smiled.

"Relax, child," Kaede got a cup of tea and pressed it into the girl's trembling hands, "Drink it all, dear. Ye'll need it."

"Mistress Kaede, what was it that you were going to say about the girl?" Miroku also knelt into his former seat, looking over Lauren as she reluctantly sipped at her cup of tea.

"Well, I was merely pondering over why she would have the ability to control Inuyasha's necklace."

The other three nodded and waited for her to continue. She got herself a cup of tea and took a long sip.

"And I remembered that before my sister died she told me of the only three ways that ye'd be able to activate the necklace upon Inuyasha's neck. The one that she placed there fifty years ago."

"FIFTY YEARS!?!" Lauren repeated, shocked.

Kaede nodded.

"Aye. The first and most potent way was for her to activate it, or a current reincarnation of herself. Which this girl is clearly not. The second way was for a young girl who is exactly one-sixteenth demon, fourth generation. However, all half-breeds are visibly detectable and again the girl is clearly not this. Kikyo never told anyone, but sheµ"

"Kikyo was part DEMON!" Inuyasha's jaw hit the floor and Miroku's eyes nearly bugged out as they both jumped to the same conclusion. Lauren just looked very confused and lost.

"What does any of this have to do with me?" Lauren asked.

"I'm getting there and nay. Kikyo wasn't part demon, but she was an empath," Kaede said, a grin on her face. Inuyasha's head jerked up at that. His eyes slightly unfocusing and his breathing hitching in surprise.

Miroku caught Lauren looking at him and almost winked in encouragement. But he caught himself, stepping further away from the silver-haired teenager. Lauren waited for the connection of it all to her and was blown away when it came.

"Lai- Lae- Lauren," Kaede stumbled over Lauren's name, "here is an empath. Kikyo made the necklace sensitive to her own empathy and therefore to all empathy. If she would have ever gotten emotional enough the necklace would have activated on it's own, automatically working without the word of power. And ye," she turned to Lauren, "ye have now programmed it with the word of power being 'sit'."

"I have?"

"Aye," Kaede nodded. Lauren's hands began to shake and she set down the teacup before she could drop it.

Lauren's gaze came to rest on Inuyasha's necklace in a kind of awe. The teenage half-breed gaped, but froze as his ear twitched.

Miroku's eyes widened slightly and he began to whistle softly. He vowed to never let anyone near him with a necklace like that.

Out of the blue, Inuyasha's ears both twitched and he turned to face the door. All that was said forgotten for the present. He got to his feet in a smooth, flowing motion, resting his hand on the hilt of his sheathed blade, Tetsusiga.

"Someone's here," he said, sniffing the air, "I smell a demon . . . .and demon's blood!"

He clutched his sword's hilt tightly and headed for the door.

Miroku grabbed his staff and stood. Gone was his frivolous air and the mischievously playful smile. He followed Inuyasha to the door and through it.

Kaede began to shuffle through her shelves, muttering something about spell stuff. She began to pull down various bottles. A book in hand as she reached for a candle at the back of the deep shelf.

Lauren crept to the hut's single door, pulling back the cured hide to peer curiously outside into the light. Maybe she'd get to see a battle.

"LAUREN!!!"

TBC. . .

Remember to review! I'll update and add more chapters when I can. I'm going to try and finish at least chapters 5, 6, 7 and maybe even 8 before November. Because I probably won't be able to work on this at all next month. I signed up for National Novel Writing Month. But I finish up the fic as soon as possible.